What do we buy?

SolidAxleDurango wrote:

oztraveler wrote:
Looking to purchase a 5th wheel for full timing......What is the best one to buy?

The one you like the most.

Bingo !!!

I'm not into the brand thing. I've owned 5th wheel trailers from Fleetwood/Skyline and Thor. I've also owned Fords/Dodges and mostly Chevy LDT's.

Choose the floor plan you like at a price that you can deal with.

Your 2500 GM has a 15k tow rating. It will have no problems pulling that much weight.
The 2500 biggest safety issue is the trucks 6084-6200 RAWR. These trucks rear axle/tires after loading can weigh in the 2900-3000 lb range which leaves approx 3000-3200 lb for a payload. Now add gear and a hitch in the bed and the truck is down to 2500-2700 lb for a 5ers "WET" pin weight.

I won't blow smoke at ya' here and tell you a max GVW trailer or a length as all 15k trailers will not all have the same pin weight percentages after the trailer is loaded.

When looking at the late model trailers their actual shipping weight is on a placard some where on the trailer. A dealer can help you with this number. I've seen 15k GVWR trailers with 3k-5k CCC so using a percentage of the trailers GVWR some times isn't the best way to go.

The major difference in your 2500 vs a 3500 SRW is higher rated tires/wheels and rear spring pack and the same tow rating in many cases.